Faith Triumphs over Death / A faith that Conquers any Problem

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Sermon: Faith that Conquers any Problem (Heb.11:35)

FAITH CLASHES WITH DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES

Examples of Hebrews 11:4-37

The Person                  The Problems he faced

FAITH CLASHES WITH DEATH (Hebrews 11:35)

“Women received back their dead, raised to life again. …”

1 Kings 17:8-24

2 Kings 4:8-37

Luke 7:11-17

Mark 5:21-43

List the Facts you face     List the Commands / Promises God gave you                Take the Right Actions­­­­­­­­­­­­_

*                                                              *                                                                              *

*                                                              *                                                                              *

*                                                              *                                                                             *

                                               

                                               

Sermón: La Fe que Vence la Muerte  (Hebreos 11:35)

LA FE CHOCA CON LAS CIRCUNSTANCIAS

Ejemplos en Hebreos 11:4-37

La Persona                  El Problema___________  

LA FE CHOCA CON LA MUERTE (Hebreos 11:35)

“las mujeres recibieron sus muertos mediante resurrección…..”

1 Reyes 17:8-24

2 Reyes 4:8-37

Lucas 7:11-17

Marcos 5:21-43

Reconoce la Realidad      Recuerda los Mandamientos y Promesas de Dios           Toma buenas decisiones                   

*                                           *                                                                                 *

*                                           *                                                                                *

*                                           *                                                                                *

                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith clashes with (difficult) Circumstances (Heb.11:4-35)

Person             Difficult Circumstances

Abel                 Cain his murderous brother                            

Enoch              His evil generation      

Noah                Build ark in 120 years in prep for Flood

Abraham          Commanded to sacrifice his son

Isaac                To let his dad almost kill him on the altar

Jacob               His devious character

Joseph             his brother’s unjust attacks

Moses parents  Pharaoh’s death sentence on their son

Moses              Red Sea

Joshua*           walls of Jericho

Rahab              her past as a prostitue

Gideon             300 vs. 135,000

Barak               enemy army w/ 900 chariots

Samson            a history of sexual sins that cost him his eyes

Jephthah          born of a prostitute and hated by his step-brothers

David               Saul’s persecutions

Samuel             rejected as the leader

Prophets*         Pharisees’ attacks

34 Shut the mouths of lions…..Quenched the fury of the flames

35 Escaped the edge of the sword

35 others were tortured….

36 faced jeers and floggings…..chained and put into prison

37 stoned….sawed in two….sword…..

went about in sheepskins and goatskins….destitute, persecuted and mistreated

*not mentioned --- the test of abundance and prosperity

APPLICATION: You can have victory over every “problem” you face

            (a problem is an opportunity for God to glorify himself)

The greatest problem you will ever face is “death”

1 Cor 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (VP) y el último enemigo que será derrotado [destruido] es la muerte.

Heb 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— (RVR) Así que, por cuanto los hijos participaron de carne y sangre, [Cristo] también participó de lo mismo, para destruir por medio de la muerte al que tenía el imperio [poder] de la muerte, esto es, al diablo.

1 Cor 15:54-57…“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” ….57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (VP) …“La muerte ha sido devorada por la victoria. 55 ¿Dónde está, oh muerte, tu victoria? ¿Dónde está, oh muerte, tu aguijón?”…. 57 ¡Pero gracias a Dios, que nos da la victoria por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo! (RVR) ..Sorbida es la muerte en victoria. 55 ¿Dónde está, oh muerte, tu aguijón? ¿Dónde, oh sepulcro, tu victoria? ….57 Mas gracias sean dadas a Dios, que nos da la victoria por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo

Resurrections of the Bible

Acts 26:8 [before Agrippa] Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? (NVI) ¿Por qué les parece a ustedes increíble que Dios resucite a los muertos?

1.Widow’s son by Elijah                     1 Kin. 17:17–22

2. Shunammite’s son by Elisha           2 Kin. 4:32–35

3. Unnamed man in Elisha’s tomb      2 Kin. 13:20-21

Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. 21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

4. Jairus’s 12 yr old daughter                          Matt. 9:23–25

5. Matt 10:5 Jesus sent [the 12].. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,

drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. cf Luke 10:19 (to the 72)

6. Widow of Nain’s son                      Luke 7:11–15

7. Lazarus (Bethany)                                       John 11:43-44

8. Resurrection of Jesus                                  Mt. 28:1–7; Mk 16:1–7; Lk 24:1–8; Jn 20:1–10

9. Many saints after Jesus’ death        Matt. 27:51-53

(nasb) And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

10. Dorcas       Acts 9:36–40

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good & helping the poor.37About that time she became sick & died & her body was washed & placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent 2 men to him & urged him, “Please come at once!” 39 Peter went with them, & when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying & showing him the robes & other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees & prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes & seeing Peter she sat up.

11. The resurrection at the Rapture (1 Thes. 4:14–17; 1 Cor. 15:51–58)

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Cor. 15:51–53).

12. Two Witnesses in Tribulation    Rev. 11:8-11

Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

13. The resurrection of the Old Testament saints (Isa. 26:19–21; Ezek. 37:12–14; Dan. 12:1–3)

14. The resurrection of the Tribulation saints (Rev. 20:4–6)

15. The resurrection of the wicked dead (Rev. 20:11–15)

 

Faith clashes with Death  (Heb 11:35a)

Women received back their dead, raised to life again. …las mujeres recibieron sus muertos mediante resurreccion

1 Kings 17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” 2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’ ” 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah. 17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” 19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, Now I know that you are a man of God & that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth

1 Reyes 17:9  Levántate, vete a Sarepta de Sidón, y mora allí; he aquí yo he dado orden allí a una mujer viuda que te sustente…..15 Entonces ella fue e hizo como le dijo Elías; y comió él, y ella, y su casa, muchos días.

Faith clashes with Death  (Heb 11:35a)

Women received back their dead, raised to life again. …las mujeres recibieron sus muertos mediante resurreccion

2 Kgs 4:8-37 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” 11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’ ” She replied, “I have a home among my own people.” 14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “Well, she has no son and her husband is old.” 15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she objected. “Don’t mislead your servant, O man of God!” 17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. 18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 “My head! My head!” he said to his father. His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out. 22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.” 23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “It’s all right,” she said. 24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ” “Everything is all right,” she said. 27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.” 28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” 29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. 31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.” 32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out

2 Rey 4:22  Llamando luego a su marido, le dijo: Te ruego que envíes conmigo a alguno de los criados y una de las asnas, para que yo vaya corriendo al varón de Dios, y regrese

 

 

 

 

Faith clashes with Death  (Heb 11:35a)

Women received back their dead, raised to life again. …las mujeres recibieron sus muertos mediante resurreccion

Luke 7:11-16 [unsolicited grace] Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.

13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”

Mark 5:21-43 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come & put your hands on her so that she will be healed & live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.......

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?” 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” 37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat

36 Pero Jesús, luego que oyó lo que se decía, dijo al principal de la sinagoga: No temas, cree solamente

Luke 8:40-56 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about 12, was dying...... 49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher any more.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened

Lucas 8:50  Oyéndolo Jesús, le respondió: No temas; cree solamente, y será salva

Raise your right arm and make a muscle

Faith a gift of God (Eph.2:8)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (RVR) Porque por gracia son salvos por medio de la fe; y esto no de ustedes, pues es don [regalo] de Dios

Faith is a muscle to be exercised  (1Pet.1:7)

These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even tho refined by fire—may be proved genuine & may result in praise, glory & honor when Jesus C is revealed

(VP) Porque la fe de ustedes es como el oro: su calidad debe ser probada por medio del fuego. La fe que resiste la prueba vale mucho más que el oro, el cual se puede destruir. De manera que la fe de ustedes, al ser así probada, merecerá aprobación, gloria y honor cuando Jesucristo aparezca

Faith in God can overcome any and every problem you have faced, are facing or will face!

1Jn 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world even our faith. (NVI)  porque todo el que ha nacido de Dios vence al mundo. Ésta es la victoria que vence al mundo: nuestra fe

You can Have Victory over any “Problem”………… (an opp for God to glofify himself)

Rom 4:17-21 …[Abraham] is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a 100 yrs old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Heb 11:19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death

Rom 4:17-21 (como está escrito: Te he puesto [hecho] por padre de muchas gentes) delante de Dios, a quien creyó, el cual da vida a los muertos, y llama las cosas que no son, como si fuesen [crea las cosas que aún no existen]. 18 El creyó en esperanza contra esperanza [Cuando ya no había esperanza, Abraham creyó y tuvo esperanza], para llegar a ser padre de muchas gentes [naciones], conforme a lo que se le había dicho: Así será tu descendencia. 19 Y no se debilitó en la fe al considerar [el tuvo muy en cuenta] su cuerpo, que estaba ya como muerto (siendo de casi cien años), o la esterilidad de la matriz de Sara [estaban casi muertos, y que eran demasiado viejos para tener hijos]. 20 Tampoco dudó, por incredulidad, de la promesa de Dios, sino que se fortaleció en fe [No dudó (vacilo, titubeo) ni desconfió de la promesa de Dios, sino que tuvo una fe más fuerte], dando gloria a Dios, 21 plenamente convencido de que era también poderoso para hacer [cumplir]todo lo que había prometido

Heb 11:19 pensando [reconoció, considero] que Dios es poderoso para levantar aun de entre los muertos, de donde, en sentido figurado, también le volvió a recibir

List the Facts you face     List God’s Commands & Promises                                              Take the Right Actions­­­­­­­­­­­­_

(things I can’t control)       

*                                             I will never leave you……I am with you                                         * Don’t trust your feelings

*                                             He has promised to supply all my needs                                         * Focus on JC, not your ci

*                                             He has promised to guide me                                                             *

                                               He has promised to be my strength 

                                                He has promised his Grace is sufficient

The mom’ s child died        Command: feed Elijah with your last bit of food                         She went to get Elisha                                                         Promise: flour and oil won’t run out

********

2Cor 1:9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

Acts 27:13-44 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. 17 When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. 21 After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” 27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away. 33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. 39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

Romans 4:17 ….[Abraham] is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were

 

 

 

 

 

 

BKC- 11:32-35a. There were far too many heroes of faith for the writer to deal with them all in detail. Swiftly he mentioned the variegated accomplishments of some of them. At the climax of this list stand women who received back their dead, raised to life again—a truly superlative victory of faith which does not allow death to defeat it (1Kgs 17:17-24; 2Kgs 4:17-37).

JM-11:35 Women received their dead. The widow of Zarephath (1 Kin. 17:22) and the woman of Shunem (2 Kin. 4:34).

*Nelson - 11:35 The reference to women who received their dead is probably a reference to the raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kin. 17:17–24) and of the Shunammite woman (2 Kin. 4:32–37).

*Baker - 35a. Women received back their dead, raised to life again.In the Old Testament we read that both Elijah and Elisha raised boys from the dead and gave them back to their mothers. The widow of Zarephath, who was not of Israel, believed. When she received her son from Elijah, she said, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth” (I Kings 17:24). The Shunammite woman came to Elisha because she knew that this “man of God” would be instrumental in raising her son from the dead (II Kings 4:8–37). The New Testament provides the example of the widow of Nain who received her son when Jesus raised him from the dead (Luke 7:11–15). Mary and Martha received their brother Lazarus when Jesus called him forth from the grave (John 11:1–44). And the widows in Joppa welcomed Dorcas back when Peter raised her to life (Acts 9:36–41)

*11:35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. It is significant that women are mentioned as receiving their dead back to life. They were more vulnerable than men in the event of the death of a spouse or an only son. Widows are often grouped with aliens and the fatherless as needing special kindness and receiving God’s careful attention (Exod 22:22–24; Deut 14:29; 24:19–21; Isa 1:23; etc.) They were supported in part together with the Levites, aliens and fatherless by the third tithe, taken from every wage-earner every third and sixth year of the seven year cycle (Deut 14:28–29; 26:12–13). Elijah gave a son back to the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:7–24; Sir 48:5). Elisha brought the Shunammite’s son back to life (2 Kgs 4:8–37). Jesus resurrected an only child and gave him back to his widowed mother (Luke 7:12–17). In Lazarus’ resurrection account we only read of the two sisters left in the family, Martha and Mary (John 11). There were other resurrections. When Jesus sent his disciples on a mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, part of their assignment was to “raise the dead” (Matt 10:8). The fact that the people were raised from the dead was part of Jesus’ proof to John that he was the Messiah who was to come (Matt 11:5; Luke 7:22). There was a general expectation among the populace in Jesus’ day that there could be resurrection from the dead (Matt 27:64). Herod thought John the Baptist had risen from death when he heard about Jesus’ works (Mark 6:14, 16; Luke 9:7). Many people were resurrected when Jesus died. Matthew reports that “The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people” (Matt 27:52–53). The OT had already begun this expectation of resurrection (Job 19:25–26; Ps 16:8–11; 17:15; 49:12–15; 73:24; 102:25–28; Isa 53:10–12; Dan 12:2)

* Women received their dead raised—as the widow of Zarephath (1Ki 17:17–24). The Shunammite (2Ki 4:17–35). The two oldest manuscripts read. “They received women of aliens by raising their dead.” 1Ki 17:24 shows that the raising of the widow’s son by Elijah led her to the faith, so that he thus took her into fellowship, an alien though she was. Christ, in Lu 4:26, makes especial mention of the fact that Elijah was sent to an alien from Israel, a woman of Sarepta. Thus Paul may quote this as an instance of Elijah’s faith, that at God’s command he went to a Gentile city of Sidonia (contrary to Jewish prejudices), and there, as the fruit of faith, not only raised her dead son, but received her as a convert into the family of God, as Vulgate reads.

*35 a. The triple triplet of victorious faith is followed by a single, abrupt clause which presents the highest conquest of faith, ‘women received from resurrection their dead.’ In this case faith appears under a twofold aspect. There is a silent, waiting, passive faith of love, which works with the active faith. Women, in whom the instinct of natural affection is strongest, cooperated with the prophets through whom the restoration was effected. They received their dead. The word λαβεῖν occurs in the narrative of the Shunammite: 2 K. 4:36. It cannot be without significance that the recorded raisings from the dead are predominantly for women: 1 K. 17:17 ff.; 2 K. 4:17 ff.; Luke 7:11 ff.; John 9.; Acts 9:36 ff.

* Elijah brought back to life the child of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8–23), and his successor, Elisha, did the same for a Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:18–37). These mothers and these prophets believed God for resurrection, and He performed it.

The women suffered for a while, but the pain was alleviated when their children were restored to life. God does not always work in this way, however.

Matt 27:50-53 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At

that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the

rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to

life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and

appeared to many people

Jeremiah 13:16 Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet

stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it

to deep gloom.

Resurrection, spiritual

A.     Accomplished by power of: God - Eph. 1:19; Christ - Eph. 5:14; Holy Spirit - Ezek. 11:19

B.     Features concerning:

Takes place now     John 5:25

Gives eternal life     John 5:24

Delivers from spiritual death     Rom. 6:4, 13

Changes life     Is. 32:15

Issues in immortality     John 11:25, 26

Delivers from Satan’s power     Acts 26:18

Realized in new life     Phil. 3:10, 11                                                Called “first”     Rev. 20:5, 6

 

The Resurrection of Christ Essential to Christian Faith 1 Cor 15:12–19. Having offered the proof of the resurrection of Christ in the preceding context (vv. 4–8), the resurrection of Christ is important because apart from this there would be a question as to whether Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God who had the power to lay down His life and take it again (John 10:17–18). Paul, accordingly, stated, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Cor. 15:14). Again, he stated, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (v. 17). The fact of resurrection makes our hope extend into eternity, not to this life only (v. 19).

The Order of the Resurrections 1 Cor 15:20–28. History records that Jesus died and that He rose again. As such, He is “the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (v. 20). Though others have been restored to life in both the Old and New Testaments, it may be assumed that they died again and returned to the grave. In Christ, a new order began with Christ receiving the body which will last for eternity. Because He has received a resurrection body, those who are raised after Him may also receive a similar body and will not die again. Dorcas, however, was merely restored to this life (Acts 9:36–42). It was proper for Christ to die and be resurrected first and then for others in their proper order to be resurrected (1 Cor. 15:22–23).When human history has run its course and the millennial kingdom has been fulfilled, the final judgment on the wicked (Rev. 20:11–15) will take place, then Christ will be able to present the conquered world to God the Father, “Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power” (v. 24). In some sense, God’s kingdom will continue forever as God necessarily directs His entire rule over creation.

The Nature of the Resurrection Body 1 Cor 15:35–50. The question is raised concerning what kind of a body will be received in resurrection. Paul used the analogy of planting seed. Obviously, the body that will be resurrected is like the seed that is planted, but the seed itself perishes. Even in the natural world, men have bodies that are different than the bodies of animals or birds (v. 39). The inanimate bodies in space such as the sun, the moon, and the stars, likewise have different qualities (vv. 40–41).The resurrection body, therefore, will have resemblance to the body that is sown or buried, but will be raised with different qualities, “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (vv. 42–44).In our natural world, the natural body comes first, then later the body that is spiritual, or suited for heaven (vv. 45–46). Accordingly, in resurrection human beings will be given another human body and, especially in the case of the saved, will have a body that is rendered imperishable, holy, and suited for the service and worship of God. As Paul concluded, it is impossible for those in their natural bodies to go into eternity unchanged. That which is perishable must become imperishable (v. 50).

The Mystery of the Resurrection of the Church 1 Cor 15:51–58;  1Thes 4:14–17. Though the normal order for all men is to live, die, and then be subject to resurrection, there will be one grand exception at the end of the age. In history, Enoch and Elijah were caught up to heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:11; Heb. 11:5). At the Rapture of the church, however, a whole generation of those who are saved will be caught up to heaven without dying. This will constitute the grand exception to the normal rule of death and resurrection.

This translation without dying was revealed by Paul, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Cor. 15:51–53). What can be known about the resurrection body? Much can be learned about our resurrection body by studying the resurrection body of Jesus Christ. From these Scriptures and this passage, it is obvious that those raised from the dead will share the Rapture with those who are living on earth at the time of the Rapture. Those who are raised and those who are translated will resemble what they were in earthly life. Jesus Christ was recognized, and though He had a new resurrection body, it still bore similarity to the body before the Crucifixion.

As is brought out in the doctrine of the Rapture (1 Thes. 4:14–17), not only will living Christians be caught up to heaven without dying, but those Christians who have died will be resurrected. Both will receive their new bodies which are suited for heaven. As Paul stated, they will be imperishable and never be subject to decay, and they will be immortal, not subject to death (1 Cor. 15:53). They will also be free from sin and be the objects of God’s grace and blessing throughout eternity. At the Rapture of the church, there will be a victory over death and the grave. Paul stated, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (vv. 54–55) In this quotation from the Old Testament, Paul was quoting Isaiah 25:8 which states that God will “swallow up death forever,” and from Hosea 13:14 where God states, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” This doctrine is stated with greater clarity in the New Testament as Paul traced the victory through Jesus Christ, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). In light of the great doctrine of the resurrection and translation and the immiment hope of the Lord’s return, believers are exhorted to make the most of their remaining time on earth. Paul stated, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (v. 58). A believer should stand firm because he is standing on the rock Christ Jesus and on the sure promises of God. He should not allow the vicissitudes of life and the sorrows and burdens that come to move him away from confidence in God. While living out their life on earth, they are to engage in the work of the Lord, always as to time and fully as to extent, because they know that following this life at the Judgment Seat of Christ they will be rewarded and “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (v. 58). This great passage dealing with the Rapture of the church coupled with Paul’s earlier revelation of the Thessalonians (1 Thes. 4:14–17) constitute the principal passages on this great truth of the Lord’s coming and the bright hope that it could be soon.

THIS WILL BE FOR NEXT WEEK’S SERMON

When Faith clashes with (false) Expectations

      Psalm 44 (walking in the dark by faith)

Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks

in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

Lamentations 3:2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light.

Lamentations 3:6 He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead.

Psalm 44

God never sleeps,” wrote the Scottish commentator Murdoch Campbell in his opening observation on this psalm. Maybe not, but he seems to, at least at times. He seems to be sleeping when his people cry out to him in their troubles. I begin this way because one of the verses of Psalm 44 is an appeal to God to wake up—“Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever” (v. 23)—and it is obviously an intense cry that we must take seriously if we are to understand the psalm. Besides, it is hard to read it without thinking of a time in the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ when he and his disciples were crossing the lake of Galilee in a small boat after a hard day’s work. A furious squall came up, and Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples were experienced fishermen, but this was a bad storm and they were afraid they would drown. So they called to Jesus to wake up: “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Of course, Jesus did care and did wake up. He quieted the storm, leaving them wondering, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35–41). But still, Jesus was sleeping for a time.

It was out of just such a frightening experience that Psalm 44 was written.

Like the psalms before it, this psalm was written by one of the Sons of Korah, which means that we do not know who the author was precisely. Nor do we know the exact circumstances or time of composition. The nation of Israel had experienced a great military defeat, but we do not know when this was. Guesses range from as early as the time of David to the Persian or even to the later Maccabean period. Whenever it was, the author is asking God to hear him and save the people as he did in the past. He cannot understand why God has not yet done so.

This psalm is a lament. Some other categories of psalms are hymns, thanksgiving psalms, psalms of confidence, psalms of remembrance, wisdom psalms, and kingship psalms, some of which are messianic.

Psalm 44 is most easily considered in three parts: (1) the past (vv. 1–8), (2) the present (vv. 9–22), and (3) the future (vv. 23–26). The past concerns God’s former acts of deliverance. The present concerns the painful, puzzling contrast between those past acts and what is happening now. The future section consists of a prayer for help yet to come.

God’s Past Acts of Deliverance

A person would never expect this psalm to be a lament from reading the beginning stanzas, a remembrance of God’s past acts of deliverance (vv. 1–8). These by their very nature are both positive and grounds for thanksgiving. At this point we would expect the psalm to be a thanksgiving psalm, a praise psalm, or a psalm of confidence. These remembrances are mature remembrances, too. The author and his contemporaries know that Israel’s past military victories had not been achieved by their own exceptional might or skill, but by the power of God.

J. J. Stewart Perowne recognizes this in his study:

The psalm opens with a glance at the past history of the nation and the acknowledgment that, from the first, every victory which they had won had been won not by their own strength, but by the immediate hand of God. This was, it might be said, the perpetual lesson of their history. They did not rise upon their Egyptian masters, but God bowed the heart of the monarch and the people by his signs and wonders, till they thrust them out in haste. At the Red Sea they did not turn to fight with the chariots and the horsemen of Pharaoh; they were but to stand still and see the victory of Jehovah. When they came to Canaan, their first exploit was not a feat of arms, for Jericho fell by a miracle. The Roman army by the lake Regillus attributed its victory to the two mysterious horsemen who, on their white horses, led the charge. The Jewish host with a better faith believed that in every battle an invisible Captain led them and knew that, whenever they conquered their enemies, it was because an invisible arm gave them the victory.

A quick look at this opening section (vv. 1–8) will show that it has two parts, separated into two stanzas in the New International Version.

1. The distant past. The first part recalls victories of the distant past, which the writer’s generation had heard about and rightly understood to have been accomplished by God and as the sole result of his favor. He refers to these as things “our fathers have told us, what you did in their days, in days long ago” (v. 1). What follows makes clear that this refers to the conquest of Canaan by the tribes that came out of Egypt. In those days God drove out the nations that were in the land before them and crushed their enemies. The section concludes:

It was not by their sword that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand, your arm,

and the light of your face, for you loved them (v. 3).

Our equivalent of this memory would be reflections on our own spiritual heritage, on events like the Protestant Reformation, the Wesleyan Revivals, or the Great Awakenings. Those distant past events are part of what we are, and we acknowledge rightly that they were accomplished by the will and power of God. Our “fathers” told us of those things, and we are thankful for them.

2. The immediate past. The second part of this opening section recalls victories in the immediate past, acknowledging, as in the preceding part, that they were achieved not by any strength or virtue of the people, but by God. In this stanza the subject of the sentences becomes singular (“my” and “I”), rather than plural (“we,” “us,” and “our”) as in stanza one. This does not mean that suddenly there is another speaker at this point, as if this were a liturgical exchange between a priest and the people, as some scholars think. Rather, it is a way of intensifying the poet’s testimony to God’s past acts of deliverance. “It is not only that you did those things long ago for other people,” he says. “You have also done them for us, for me. I can testify to such victories.”

I do not trust in my bow,

my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long,

and we praise your name forever (vv. 6–8).

Putting this in terms of our own experience, it is as if we were to say, “We have also experienced what those who came before us did. Not to the same degree perhaps, but you have nevertheless worked in our days as you worked in theirs. We give you glory.”

If Psalm 44 had ended with verse 8, it would have been a victory hymn. It is positive, expectant, trusting. But the psalm does not end here. It goes on to the lament of verses 9 and following, which means that these opening verses, in spite of the positive statements, must have been uttered in a puzzled tone of voice. As we will see in part 2, God had not been helping the people currently, which raised the question, “How come? Why is he not helping us when he has helped us so effectively in the past?”

The Puzzling Present

This second section of the psalm opens with the contrasting words “but now.” We find this phrase again and again in the Bible, usually comparing our sad condition apart from God’s grace with what we have because of it. A classic example is in Romans 3:21, where Paul passes from his description of the hopeless condition of the human race in its sin to what God has done in providing a way of salvation through Jesus Christ. The text says, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known.”

The contrast is exactly the opposite in this psalm. Instead of moving from a sad past to a glorious present, the words move us from a glorious past to a tragic present. Look at the contrast.

Verse 7:

You give us victory over our enemies.

Verses 9–10:

But now you have rejected and humbled us;

you no longer go out with our armies.

You made us retreat before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plundered us.

Is that what the people of God are to expect from the One who has been their champion in past days?

This situation is so painful and puzzling in view of the people’s past experience of God that this second section seems to be searching desperately for an explanation. A few possibilities lie in the background.

1. Perhaps God was temporarily looking the other way, and the people’s enemies used that moment to gain the upper hand. That explanation might work for pagans, who know nothing of the true God. But it can never work for the followers of Jehovah. Jehovah is not indifferent. He is not sleeping, even though that may seem to be the case. If he is not sleeping or is not indifferent or is not impotent, then he must be behind what is happening.

Note the repetition of the word you.You have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies. You made us retreat before the enemy, … You gave us up to be devoured like sheep. … You sold your people for a pittance. … You have made us a reproach to our neighbors. … You have made us a byword among the nations. … you crushed us” (vv. 9–14, 19). The people’s defeats are no accident. God is behind them, since God is responsible for all things.

This is what makes the problem so puzzling. A mere accident is not puzzling. A disaster is only puzzling if God is in control, is favorable to us, but lets it happen anyway. Nevertheless, although it makes the situation puzzling, the realization that God is in control is still both the proper way to approach such problems and the only possible way to find a solution to them. The secularist has nowhere to turn. Not only does he not have an answer, he does not even have a way of finding one.

As for the believer, he may not understand God’s ways, but he knows that the only way to proceed is by recognizing that God is as active in defeats as he is in victories and waiting for his explanation.

2. Perhaps the defeat is not as bad as it appears, and the people are exaggerating. This is the second approach the psalmist is rejecting. The Pollyanna approach will not do here, because there is no escaping the magnitude of the disaster. The soldiers have been slaughtered like sheep and scattered (v. 11). Even worse, the people have been made a reproach to their neighbors; they have been disgraced and covered with shame (vv. 13–16).

3. Perhaps the people themselves are at fault, and God has sent defeat as a judgment for their sins. This is the best explanation so far since it takes both the sovereignty of God and the magnitude of the defeat at full value. What is more, the people often had sinned and had been judged for it. Their past history was as much a testimony to that fact as it was to the intervention of God on their behalf. The problem is that at this point of their history the people were keeping God’s covenant and following God’s way faithfully. At least that is what the psalmist says.

All this happened to us,

though we had not forgotten you

or been false to your covenant.

Our hearts had not turned back;

our feet had not strayed from your path (vv. 17–18).

He is arguing that they were obeying God and yet were defeated.

Can this really be? We are conscious of sin in ourselves. Very few Christians would want to claim utter faithfulness in following after God, as the psalmist does. Perhaps the writer is mistaken. Perhaps the explanation of this tragic defeat is to be found in precisely this self-righteousness. That explanation does not work here for two reasons.

First, because of verses 20–21:

If we had forsaken the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?

This does not mean merely, “If we had sinned, God would know about it since God knows everything.” That would lead to the conclusion, “Therefore, we must have sinned, since God is punishing us,” and that is not what the psalm is saying. There would be nothing puzzling about the present situation under those circumstances. The words “would not God have discovered it” mean “would not God have discovered it to us.” That is, “Wouldn’t God have told us what we have done wrong, if we had done wrong? Therefore, since he has not revealed any particularly outstanding sin to us, our sin cannot be the explanation of why we are suffering these military setbacks.” An example of a sin that was revealed to the people as the cause of their defeat in war would be the defeat at Ai following the conquest at Jericho, where the cause was revealed to be Achan’s disobedience in taking articles of clothing and precious metals from an enemy tent (cf. Josh. 7).

The second reason why we cannot handle the text this way—which also brings it directly into our own experience—is that Paul quotes verse 22 in Romans 8 as a confirming statement that the people of God suffer innocently. But he says this in the midst of a powerful affirmation concerning the keeping love of God:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:35–37).

Paul and other Christians had served God faithfully, yet they were made to face death all day long.

So, as easy as it would be to say that the people of God suffer defeat because they are being punished for their sins, this is not a fully adequate explanation, at least not in all instances, including Psalm 44 and Romans 8.

Prayer for Deliverance in the Future

So what is the explanation? None is given in this psalm. There is a suggestion of one, but the answer the psalmist finds is not an explanation, however much he might have appreciated one, but rather a practical clinging to God and beseeching God for help in spite of God’s apparent sleep or silence.

Does God seem to be asleep? “Forget whether he really sleeps or not or what he may or may not be sleeping for,” the psalmist seems to be saying. “Pray to him. Get practical and rouse him, if you must, with your prayers.”

Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?

Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

Why do you hide your face

and forget our misery and oppression?…

Rise up and help us;

redeem us because of your unfailing love (vv. 23–24, 26).

One of the early commentators expressed the psalm’s thought like this: “You helped us in the past. You must help us now. But you are not helping us, even though we have done nothing to prohibit your helping us. So help us.” The psalm is as simple as that.

But let us return to the suggestion of an explanation for trouble we find in the psalm. There are actually two clues that are “starters” for further thinking.

First, there is the phrase “for your sake” in verse 22, the verse Paul quotes in Romans. Psalm 44 has no elaboration of this idea, but we cannot miss remembering that it was developed at length by Jesus, who spoke of those who would be “persecuted because of righteousness” and “because of me” (Matt. 5:10–11), and who told his disciples, “ ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). Paul was using the same idea when he quoted Psalm 44:22 in Romans, because it is for God’s sake that the people of God often suffer.

Second, there is the last phrase of the psalm: “your unfailing love” (v. 26). That is a very important ending. Although nothing like it has appeared in the psalm thus far, it means, if it is to be taken at full value, that the love of God is of such quality that even the terrible defeats of the present moment are not without a purpose and will not, even in the worst extremity, sever the believing one from God. This is exactly how Paul handles the problem of suffering in Romans 8, too. Early in the chapter he explains that sharing in Christ’s sufferings now means that we will share in his glory later, concluding, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Then, at the end of the chapter, after having quoted from Psalm 44, he concludes, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vv. 38–39).

With a faith like that, those who are accounted only as “sheep to be slaughtered” always will conquer, whatever defeats they may suffer in this life. They will conquer because God is in control of all history, his love is unfailing, and he guarantees the ultimate outcome of everything that happens to us … and the victory.

Mark 4:38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

But the crux is in v.22, with the phrase “for thy sake”. The psalm does not develop it, but it implies the revolutionary thot that suffering may be a battle-scar rather than a punishment; the price of loyalty in a world which is at war with God.

Paul quotes v.22 not with the despari of the “more than defeated” (see vv.9-16) but with convicgtion that “in all these things we are more than conquerors thru him who loved us (Rom.8:36f)

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